Street Machine Australia — January 2018

GEORGE STATHOPOULOS

1970 HOLDEN HT MONARO GTS

Colour: Glasurit Custom Galaxy Grey

GRUNT

Engine: 400ci small-block Chev V8

Block: Dart

Intake: Edelbrock Victor Jr

Induction: FAST EZ-EFI 2.0

Crank: Scat 4340

Pistons: SRP, forged

Rings: Total Seal

Heads: AFR Eliminator 210cc

Valves and springs: AFR

Cam: Comp hydraulic-roller

Oil pump: System 1

Ignition: MSD 6AL-2 with two-step

limiter, Blaster 2 coil & MSD Pro Billet

distributor

Fuel pump: MagnaFuel ProTuner

Exhaust: Pacemaker tuned-length

headers with Hooker mufflers and

custom 3in high-flow exhaust

SHIFT

Transmission: Mike’s Transmissions

Competition Turbo 350

Torque converter: Custom-built

4500rpm Dominator

Diff: Eaton Truetrac 3.77:1 9in with

Moser 31-spline axles

Tailshaft: Strange chrome-moly billet

BENEATH

Front suspension: lowered springs,

Koni shocks

Rear suspension: Calvert split mono-

leaf, Calvert 90/10 shocks

Steering: Original

Brakes: Wilwood 12in discs (f & r)

ROLLING

Rims: Weld RT-S S76; 18x5.5 (f),

18x9 (r)

Rubber: Mickey Thompson Sportsman

S/ R; 18x6 (f), 18x10 (r)

INTERIOR

Steering wheel: HT Monaro GTS

Seats: HT Monaro GTS

Carpets: Standard Holden

Gauges: Original, with FAST EZI-EFI

touchscreen

Shifter: B&M Quicksilver

Stereo: Pioneer DEX-P99RS with Hertz

Hi-Energy speakers and subwoofer

taken along the coast. The horizon is straighter when reflected in
the flanks of George’s Monaro than it is in real life!
Knowing that the body was only a couple of months away from
completion, Zoran at Competition Engines started screwing
together a small-block Chev that matched George’s brief.
“I wasn’t looking for anything too crazy; just something you can
cruise that throws you back in the seat a bit,” George says. “I didn’t
need 1000hp, a 5200 stall or 4.11 gears.”
Zoran matched the brief perfectly, creating a stealth masterpiece
topped by a FAST EZ-EFI system out of the States.
“That’s good for about 1200 horses and a nitrous kit,” George
says of his overkill induction. “If I muster up the courage to put a
couple of turbos on it later, this system will take the extra power.”
Forward planning is everything, but George is happy with the
593hp the donk has shown on the engine dyno.
“I wanted to take it down the quarter as soon as I picked it up, but
we were still working on the tune; then the weather turned to shit.
Hopefully we’ll get it to Calder this summer, just for interest’s sake.”
Although it’s hit a couple of shows on Zoran’s trade stand,
George built the car for road duties.
“I drive it all the time; as often as I can get it out,” he says. “I was
positive I didn’t want any colour in that engine bay except grey,
aluminium and black, so if it gets some dirt up under there, I can
give it a pressure clean and it’ll come right off.”
That being said, it’s not like George to run around in a dirty Munro.
“I got pulled up the other day by a Rare Spares rep,” he says.
“He told me he’s seen a ton of these, but he’s never seen one as
good as this!” s

THANKS: Zoran, Steve & Tim at Competition Engines for coordinating the project;

Vito and the team at Polo Body Works for their unbelievable work on the body

and paint; Steve and Tina at Scorpion Automotive for storing the car initially and

recommended various businesses; Sammy from Phatt Audio Concepts for the

stereo system, installing the Roadkill sound-deadening and the boot fit-out; George

B for the countless conversations during the build; Jim and Rick for constantly

nagging me; the boys on the GM vs Ford vs BB Chev WhatsApp chat, who

convinced me to keep the black interior

I WASN’T LOOKING FOR ANYTHING TOO CRAZY; JUST SOMETHING

YOU CAN CRUISE THAT THROWS YOU BACK IN THE SEAT A BIT